Hey Snoochers, so its been a little while, and we’re sorry for our absence but as you may have seen on Twitter we’ve been working super hard to set up our sister site The Reel Deal.
Now we are back! And kicking off a brand new load of fun lifestyle content just for you with our very first review for the brand new refurbished Travelodge Hotels. We sent Becks to the heart of Theatreland in London to spend a night at the Covent Garden hotel to see what its got to offer… and she even did this very kind video review just for us!
So we hope you’ve got a good idea of what its like to stay in one of these very convenient and affordable hotels (rooms start from £29, our recommendation is that you sort out your booking online). To be fair, you’re going to spend most of your time outside of the hotel, exploring the great cities they’re based in, so why pay through the roof for a bed!
That’s right, its Friday which can only mean one thing. The Reel Deal has its top picks for what you lot need to watch this weekend. Its a right old melting pot of film goodness, kicking off with a boy racer, moving swiftly on to a man on the hunt for reality and ending up with Scarlett Johannson well, seducing men and doing all sorts of random creepy weirdness with them – not to be missed I promise!
And if that wasn’t enough, every Thursday The Reel Deal give you the run down of what is hot at the cinema box office, so if you want to see where your hard earned cinema going cash has been spent this week, then check out Amon Warrman’s latest rundown.
Thanks for all your support please do keep subscribing to The Reel Deal and follow us on Twitter
Its that time of the week where we say a huge bonsoir, bienvenue, and welcome to the weekend! What better way to spend it than down your local multiplex, so make sure you check out our friends at The Reel Deal as they give you the run down of what’s hot to trot at the cinema this weekend!
If you’re keen on seeing more content from this lovely love (and if you love films we thoroughly suggest you do!) Then make sure you subscribe to The Reel Deal film channel, where you can get other content like this!
There’s lots of exciting stuff coming from The Reel Deal in the next few weeks, so make sure you stay tuned and follow them on Twitter!
Its not only the government who are trying to get kids more green fingered, we’re all thinking about exciting ways to get the youngest of the younger generation excited about their own little green patch. The lovely people at Suttons Seeds have come up with an engaging and light hearted way to get children super excited to put down the playstation and explore their back garden (when the weather gets better of course!)
With more school gardening clubs popping up in and around the country, kids gardening kits could mean big business, and if we help inspire a new mini Titchmarsh then thats not such a bad things…. or is it? Well anyway, lets make gardening cool from the youngest to the oldest member of your family. Give them one of these and get everyone excited about our great British summer ahead. What are you waiting for?
Yes that’s right it really is Pancake Day tomorrow. We’ve been rattling our brains to find out how best to make our pancakes a little different this year and nothing says ‘step away from the children’ and indulge yourself like a little bit of boozy pancake offerings!
So forget Blue Peter, lets get down to business with an old (but new to us) recipe from the world famous Appleton Estate rum makers, that dates back to 1749!
And to make it a little more fun, even the recipes look like they’ve come from the olden days – well, the 1980’s at least! (We can thank the PR’s for that!)
Enjoy, but if the kids are going mad from the sugar and lemon toppings, then stay safe in the knowledge that these ones are all for yourself and you deserve it!
Film Fans, and movie maniacs you need to head to your local cinema this weekend to see the hottest films around. If you’re after Tom Hiddleston as a blood thirsty vampire, or Shia laBeouf wearing far less than a paper bag, well its all here in one bite size package just for you and courtesy of our friends at The Reel Deal.
So watch our resident film critic take you through whats hot on the big screen this week. Its a corker!
Did you have a New Year’s resolution? Going to hit the gym three times a week and bust that gut? Cut back on the booze and un-pickle your liver? You tried hard too didn’t you, but by about mid-January, well…
Don’t beat yourself up though. It can be tough to make big changes to your life, and sometimes making a small change can be more sustainable and have a surprisingly big impact. That’s the idea behind Plan UK’s new campaign Give Up To Give Back.
If you don’t know about them, Plan UK is a global charity that works around the world to help improve the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children. We’re talking about kids who have no access to clean drinking water, no schools, no hospitals and those affected by disasters like the recent typhoon in the Philippines. Plan UK get their hands dirty at the ground level to provide resources, help train and educate people and build vital infrastructure to improve entire communities.
Most people want to give to charity, but somehow the financial aspect of a monthly donation seems a bit scary in this day and age, so they’ll flick a few coins in a collection bucket and leave it at that. But what if by giving up something for a renewed New Year’s resolution, something small, something that would help improve your life, you then gave that money back as a child sponsor? Not only would you see your belly shrink a bit, but you could help someone who really, really needs it.
Need an idea? Then have a look at this infographic from Plan UK, and you can see how something small and seemingly inconsequential can have a meaningful effect:
See. You don’t have to go all-or-nothing to make a difference. Would you really notice one less pint on a Saturday night? Not there and then, but over the course of a month you’ll feel better for it and that money will have a monumental effect on a child’s life. What’s even better is that when you sponsor a child the money doesn’t just go to helping them, a further 55 kids will benefit directly from your money.
So don’t sweep your broken New Year’s resolutions under the rug. Instead of going large, go small and #GiveUp2GiveBack.
You can find out more about the campaign and sign up here http://ow.ly/tdt2h
Get up, get out of your seat and move to a slightly more comfy one laced with red velvet and beautifully moulded bum imprints. Yep you guessed it, its one of the cheapest and historically romantic places to go on a date. Watch out though, the back row may be a little full!
On Valentines day the cream of the romantic movie crop hits cinemas and 2014 is no exception. Today of all days has some movie lovers magic just for you, whether you’re up with a dynamic dance film (well sort of) or lonely and needing some solace in future technology, or just after some good nostalgic fun then we can guarantee there there are some top choices ready and waiting for you!
So why not check out @thereelfilmshow and their latest picks of the top films to hit the cinemas this weekend, hosted by our very own resident film critic @rebecca_perfect
If you’ve heard of the brand Holler Watches you’ll know that Mike Tysons face dominates some of the its clever marketing campaigns, with his distinct facial tattoos you know expect that this brand of stylish, hip hop inspired watches will pack a punch too.
When invited to meet the founder and owner Darren McCormick we half expected to be meeting Tyson times two, and were slightly intimidated by the thought. However, we couldn’t be more wrong. Who we ended up sitting opposite at the table was a very unassuming, softly spoken, clever man with a slightly northern twang, how refreshing!
Darren is a man who is passionate about music, loves fashion and heads up a very impressive business that helped launch the hugely popular Pandora jewellery brand in the UK. He has since been watching the rise and rise of its popularity whilst quietly working on new concepts and ideas and 2014 is now the time for him to be getting back on the promotion wagon with the two next ventures which he believes will be the next big things. First we have the aforementioned Holler Watches. A cool, young brand, impactful and stylish, to be worn as a statement piece with stars galore backing it up for endorsements. Its even opened up an opportunity for bright, young, beautiful things to become a ‘Holler Girl’ (in Belgium! – but maybe here soon too!)
Quite different is Nikki Lissoni, a softer, more elegant brand, something that has a much more subtle and worn by the likes of Nicole Scherzinger and the Made in Chelsea lot. Both aiming to be hugely successful in their own right, its clear that Darren McCormick knows how to find a diamond in the rough idea and make it a money spinner.
I love the idea of Holler tell me more!
Well it’s a unique lifestyle brand which brings together a compilation of northern soul inspired designs and something very unique for the UK marketplace. Holler isn’t just about watches, its about caps, t-shirts, and sunglasses – we like to think of it as being one of those slices of American pie, bringing the bling from across the pond and one day becoming just as popular as those developed by leading music artists in the US.
The idea behind Hollar is that you buy into it as a whole, which is a great concept and it is quite easy to see by its unique designs and funky colouring why it could very easily become the next big trend in watches and fashion, so watch this space.
Nikki Lissoni sounds more up my street…
Well if Holler was born out of his passion for music and fashion, then Nikki Lissoni could be set to follow in the footsteps of Pandora and become the next female fad. The European fashion capitals saw this gorgeous collection of medallion based jewellery, which combines a mystical backstory with contemporary design and took to it like a duck to water, hailing it as ‘revamped retro’ and perhaps the next big trend to follow on from Pandora.
Bottom line is that both these brands are set to make big business in 2014 both in the UK and abroad, so if you’re looking to give something very special to a loved one this Valentines day, then get ahead of the trends and say it with a piece of jewellery.
You can find out more information on both the Holler and Nikki Lissoni brands here.
Just when you thought Valentines Day gifts couldn’t get any more extravagant! Award winning appliance manufacturers (and cool design kings) Smeg released a very special FAB28 red velvet refrigerator (it looks so good it could almost taste as good as Red Velvet cake, seriously!
Anyway, its not all about a fancy fridge on V-Day, Smeg is also teaming up with Bentalls in Kingston-upon-Thames for a week of non-stop fun. From 7th to 14th February, Smeg will showcase their brand new, very special FAB28 red velvet refrigerator, which will be exclusively revealed to Bentalls’ customers and the UK for the very first time. To celebrate, Smeg has devised an exciting competition where one lucky person can win their own red velvet fridge and send a message of love, or even a marriage proposal, to the special people in their life thanks to a clever and innovative built-in fridge cam.
During the event, customers will be invited to use the fridge cam and pose for a photograph alongside their own personal love heart message which they need to tweet with the hashtag #lovesmegfridge and #velvetvalentine to be in with a chance to win. Also don’t forget to look out for the SMEG500R, a limited edition, Fiat-styled refrigerator, which is also debuting for the very first time.
Smeg’s brand manager John Davies says: “We’re delighted to be supporting the Bentalls store in Kingston upon Thames and are excited to show how Smeg always work hard to push the boundaries with experiential activity that engages with our customers. The latest special addition to the Smeg family, the FAB28 red velvet refrigerator is symbolic of our iconic style and with its curved edges, 50s style lettering and soft, matt texture we’re sure this will be a hit!”
But I haven’t got time for a competition, but I do have time for a new fridge! Tell me more!
With a capacity of 256 litres featuring an ice compartment with a frozen food capacity of 26 litres, the FAB28 red velvet model comes with Smeg’s automatic defrost technology as well as three adjustable glass shelves, one fruit and vegetable container and a chrome wine rack. This fridge has an A++ energy efficiency rating and a 40dB sound level which is far lower than normal conversation levels at 59dB, making it perfect for open-plan living. Priced from £1,275, the dimensions of the Smeg FAB28 measure 60cmW by 69.2cmD by 151cmH and this model is also available in 12 striking colours.
Snoochie Boochies 